Article handling hopper



June 22, 1965 H. W. MARANO ARTICLE HANDLING HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed April 9, 1963 q kg June 22, 1965 H. w. MARANO ARTICLE HANDLINGHOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1963 June 22, 1965 H. w. MARANOARTICLE HANDLING HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 9, 1963 H. W.MARANO ARTICLE HANDLING HOPPER 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 22, 1965 FiledApril 9, 1965 United States Patent M 3,190,491 ARTICLE HANDLING HOPPERHerbert W. Marano, Summit, N.J., amignor to Consolidated CigarCorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 9,1963, Ser. No. 271,692 2 Claims. (Cl. 221-68) The present inventionrelates generally to improvements in article handling and dispensingapparatus and it relates in particular to an improved apparatus forarranging and feeding groups of articles such as cigars or the like inpredetermined uniform orientation preparatory to the further handlingthereof.

Many types of article handling and treating apparatus, such as packagingand wrapping machines and the like require that the articles bedelivered thereto in a uniform predetermined orientation. Where thepackaging machine is of the high speed type and the articles beinghandled are of a fragile nature, the handling, orientating and feedingof the articles to the packaging machine in a proper arrangement andorientation present many problems. These problems arise in theinspection, classification, sorting and packaging of cigars and similararticles. For an eflicient operation it is necessary that the cigars,during many phases of their handling, be accurately and rapidlyorientated in predetermined groups with a minimum of hand labor orpersonal attendance. The absence of these conditions contribute toreductions in eificiency and a consequent increase in production costs.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to providean improved article handling and dispensing apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedapparatus for assembling, arranging and feeding articles in apredetermined uniform orientation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedapparatus for assembling and feeding successive end-to-end groups ofcigars in sideby-side parallel relationship from a bunch of said cigars.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedapparatus of the above nature characterized by its high speed,reliability, ruggedness and simplicity.

The above and other objects of the present invention will becomeapparent from a reading of the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein FIGURE 1 is aperspective partially exploded, fragmentary view of an orientating andfeeding mechanism embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view thereof, the rockerplates being illustrated in their intermediate positions; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4, therocker plates being illustrated in their opposite high-low positions.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of anarticle handling apparatus comprising a plurality of transversely spacedlongitudinally extending panels delineating a plurality of passagewaysand means for imparting reciprocating motions to said panels relative tosaid next adjacent panels.

In one form of apparatus constructed according to and embodying thepresent invention, there is provided a base plate having regularlytransversely spaced longitudinally extending slots formed therein andfront and rear walls having transversely spaced vertical slots formedtherein corresponding to the slots in the base plate. The lower3,199,491 Patented June 22, 1965 edge of the front wall is disposedabove the base plate to delineate therewith a discharge opening. Avertical panel vertically slidably registers with each respective set ofvertical and base slots and a pair of longitudinally aligned triangularrocker plates are associated with each pair of adjacent panels and arepivoted to the front and rear walls. Transversely spaced corners of therocker plates are connected to opposite panels and the apices of therocker plates along each wall are connected by a common connecting rodwhich is reciprocated by an adjustable crank and link mechanism toimpart opposite vertical reciprocating motions to the panels. A pushermember is reciprocatable along the base plate toward and away from thedischarge opening and has longitudinal slots formed therein slidablyregistering the panels. A longitudinally adjustable transverse panel islocated between the front and rear Walls and has vertical slots slidablyregistering with the longitudinal panels.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, reference numeral ill generally designates theimproved orientating and feed device employed in the dispensing ofgroups of cigar-s in side-by-side parallel relationship, the feed deviceit) being surmounted by an upper open backed, open topped hopper =11aligned with a mating top opening in feed device 10 and facilitating theloading thereof. Feed device '10 includes a fiat rectangular base plate'12 having a plurality of regularly transversely spaced longitudinallyextending slots 13 formed therein and terminating at points spaced fromthe leading and trailing edges of the plate. A pair of vertical sidewalls 14 project upwardly from the side borders of base plate 12 andterminate at points short of the leading edge of the base plate. Sidewalls 14 are provided with outwardly directed bottom flanges 14;!secured to the top face of base 12 and outwardly directed top flanges14b which facilitate the mounting of the top hopper 11.

A front wall 16 extends between and laterally beyond side walls 114 andis aflixed to the front edges thereof. Wall 16 includes a top flange 16bcoplanar with top flanges 14b of Wall 14, a forwardly directed bottomflange 17 delineating, with the opposing border of base plate 12 atransversely extending discharge opening 13. Similarly, a rear wall 19is provided, which extends between and laterally beyond the rear edgesof side walls 14, and includes a top flange 119k coplanar with topflanges 14b of side Walls 14, and a rearwardly directed bottom flange 20which delineates, with the trailing edge of base plate 12 a transverselyextending rear access opening 21. Formed in the lower section of frontwall 16 are a plurality of transversely spaced, relatively wide verticalslots 22 which are substantially coplanar with corresponding base slots13, while formed in bottom section of rear wall 19 are a plurality oftransversely spaced, relatively wide vertical slots 23 arranged inlongitudinal alignment with corresponding vertical slots 22 in frontwall 16.

Associated with each pair of slots 22, 2'3 and extending longitudinallytherebetween is a vertically reciprocating, vertical panel 24 which isprovided with a depending rectangular tongue section 26 mating andvertically slidably registering with a corresponding base slot 13.Reciprocating panel 24 includes a rectangular top section 27 joined totongue 26 by .an intermediate section 28 having front and rear inclinededges 29 and 30 respectively. Projecting longitudinally from the uppercorners of each panel 24, through corresponding front and rear slots 22[and 23, are top apertu'red ears 3%, and projecting longitudinally fromthe lower corners of upper section 27 of each panel, throughcorresponding front and rear slots 22 and 2-3, are bottom apertured ears32. The distance between the upper edges of top cars 30 and the loweredges of bottom ears 32 is less than the height of slots 22 and 23thereby to permit vertical movement of panels 24.

A slide block 33 is affixed to the front and to the rear edge of eachreciprocating panel 24, and has a vertically extending flange 34directed inwardly from the inner edge of block 33 into vertical slidingregistry with a corresponding slot 22, 23. Laterally ofiset surfaces 36are inwardly stepped from the upper and lower ends of the face 37 ofeach block 33 and these engage corresponding mating panel ears and 32which are secured thereto by screws passing through countersunk openingsformed in the ears 30 and 32 and engaging tapped bores formed in blocks33. The assembly of the panels 24 and slide blocks 33 and theirassociation with base slots 13 and wall slots 22 and 23 restrict panels24 to a vertical movement. The inner faces of blocks 33 substantiallyslidably abut the outer faces of walls 16 and 19 thereby restricting thelongitudinal movement of panels 24. A recess 38 is formed in the innerface of each block 33, and communicates with the block side face 37. Alongitudinal bore 39 extends from the outer face of each block 33 intocommunication with recess 38 therein.

The mechanism for imparting opposite reciprocating motions to panels 24includes a plurality of transversely aligned triangular rocker plates 40pivoted to the outer faces of front and rear walls 16 and 19,corresponding rocker plates 40 of the respective sets being inlongitudinal alignment with a pair of plates 40 being associated witheach pair of adjacent panels 24. Each rocker plate 40 is ofapproximately equilateral configuration, having an upwardly directedapertured apex 41 and transversely spaced apertured lower corners 42.Each rocker plate 40 is swingably supported about a longitudinal axisintermediate the lower corners 42 thereof and on a vertical lineintermediate a corresponding pair of slots 22, 23 by means of a pivotpin 43 projecting outwardly from and perpendicular to front and rearwalls 16 and 19, and engaging a mating opening in the correspondingrocker plate 40. Rocker plates 40 are spaced from the walls 16 and 19 byspaced collars 44 engaging pins 43 between rocker plates 40 and walls 16and 19, and the rocker plates 40 are retained on the pins 43 by means ofretaining collars 46 attached to the outer ends of pins 43.

A connecting rod 47 connects the lower corners 42 of each rocker platewith a corresponding aligned slide block 33. Each rod 47 terminates atits upper end in an inwardly directed leg 48 projecting through theaperture formed in the corresponding rocker plate corner 42 and at itslower end in an inwardly directed leg 49 projecting through a respectiveslide block bore 39 into the recess 38. Each upper leg 48 is releasablylocked in engagement with the rocker plate corner by means of collar 50separably secured to the inner end of leg 43, and each connecting rodlower leg 49 is releasably locked in engagement with a bore 39 by acollar 51 suitably separably secured to the inner end of the leg 49 andnesting in block recess 38.

A pair of longitudinally aligned upper journal blocks 52 are afiixed tothe upper confronting faces of the front and rear walls 16 and 19immediately outside a side wall 14. Journalled to and between blocks 52and projecting beyond front and rear walls 16 and 19 is a rocker shaft53 having affixed to opposite ends thereof parallel rocker arms 54disposed outside walls 16 and 19 and in alignment with correspondingsets of rocker plates 40. A pair of parallel transversely extendingconnecting rods 56 extend from each of rocker arms 54 along the apices41 of a full corresponding set of rocker plates 40. The pairedconnecting rods 56 embrace the upper ends of rocker arms 54 and rockerplate apices 41, and are connected thereto by pins 57 engaging alignedapertures formed in the connecting rods 56 and correspondingly embracedrocker apices 41 and rocker arms 54. It is to be noted that the distancebetween each rocker plate pivot pin 43 and a corresponding pin 57 isequal to the transverse distance between shaft 53 and pins 57 engagingthe rocker arms 54.

Afiixed to a free end of shaft 53 beyond wall 19 is a rocker arm 58having a longitudinally extending slot 59 formed therein. A pivot pin 60is adjustably positioned along the length of slot 59 and is selectivelyreleasably afiixed in a preselected position by means of a nut 61engaging a correspondingly threaded end of pivot pin 60. A lower journalblock 63 is positioned on the inner face of rear wall 19, below journalblock 52, and a shaft 64 is journalled in the block 63 and projectsrearwardly of wall 19. A sprocket wheel 65 is afiixed to the rear end ofthe shaft 64 and a collar 65a is aifixed to the front end thereof tolock the shaft 64 against axial movement. An eccentric pin 67 is mountedon sprocket wheel 65, offset relative to pivot shaft 64, to define acrank pin and is connected by a link bar 68 to pin 60. A sprocket chain69 connects wheel 65 to a suitably driven sprocket wheel. Thus, rotationof sprocket wheel 65 rocks arm 58 which in turn rocks the arms 54 by wayof shaft 53. Rocking arms 54 reciprocate connecting rods 56 tocorrespondingly rock plates 40 in synchronism. Rocking plates 40 in turnvertically reciprocate successive panels 24 in opposite directionsthrough connecting rods 47 and slide blocks 33. The length of the strokeof panels 24 may be adjusted by adjusting the position of pin 60 alongslot 59, the closer the position of pin 60 to the rocking axis of arm58, that is to shaft 53, the greater the amplitude of the stroke ofpanels 24. The reciprocation frequency of panels 24 is equal to therotational speed of the sprocket wheel 65. In the handling of cigars,the parameters are advantageously adjusted so that the stroke of thepanels 24 is between A" and l, and the frequency between 20 and 100 upand down strokes per minute.

The mechanism for advancing the bottommost group of cigars in feeddevice 10 through discharge opening 18 includes a plurality oftransversely spaced, axially aligned rollers 70 located along thetrailing edge of the base plate 12, the upper peripheries of the rollers70 being coplanar and a short distance above the top face of base plate12. A pusher member defining plate 71 is parallel to and overlies baseplate 12 and rides along the rollers 70, pusher plate 71 projectingthrough trailing opening 21. Pusher plate 71 is longitudinally slidabletoward and away from discharge opening 18. Formed in the leading sectionof the pusher plate 71 are a plurality of regularly transversely spacedlongitudinal slots 72 which extend to the leading edge of the pusherplate 71 and are in longitudinal alignment with slots 13 in the baseplate 12 and straddle the lower sections of the reciprocating panels 27.Slots 72 delineate longitudinally forwardly directed pusher fingers 73which register with the bottoms of corresponding passageways delineatedby adjacent panels 24 and which have their upper leading cornerschamfered as at 74 to facilitate engagement of the trailing edge of thepanels 24 attendant to the initial advance movement of the pusher plate71. The trailing section 76 of the plate 71 defines a cross-piececonnecting fingers 73 and is connected to any suitable reciprocatingmechanism (not shown) for advancing the pusher plate 71 across the baseplate 12 with the leading edge thereof substantially projecting throughdischarge opening 18 and for retracting the pusher plate 71 to a pointwith its leading edge trailing a transverse panel 77 which delineatesthe trailing ends of the stacked cigars in the feed device 10.

The transverse panel 7'7 is located between and is parallel to the frontand rear walls 16 and 19, and is substantially coextensive therewith,having a bottom edge spaced above pusher plate 71 and a flanged top edge77b. Transversely spaced vertical slots 78 are formed in the lowersection of transverse panel 77 and slidably engage verticallyreciprocating panels 24. Along each side of transverse panel 77 islocated a pair of vertically spaced rearwardly directed apertured ears79. Formed in the rear section of each side wall 14 is a pair ofvertically spaced longitudinally extending slots 80 registering withcorresponding ears 79. A headed slide pin 81 slidably registers witheach of the slots 80 and engages and is attached to a corresponding ear79. Thus, transverse panel 77 is adjustable with respect to the distancetherebetween and wall 16 to accommodate the handling by the feed device10 of cigars C of different lengths.

In employing the apparatus described above, the vertically extendingpanels 24 are reciprocated by the rotation of sprocket wheel 65 in themanner earlier described. The upper hopper 11 is loaded from the rearthereof by stacks of cigars C which are longitudinally oriented and havetheir ends abutting the front wall of the hopper. The cigars dropdownwardly through hopper 11 into the upper section of feed device 10and into the region of panels 24. The reciprocating panels 24 effect theentry of cigars into the passageways delineated by adjacent panels andassure the uniform arrangement of the cigars in each of the passagewaysas a vertical stack thereof in horizontal longitudinally extendingtop-to-bottom positions. As pusher plate 71 is retracted, a layer ofside-by-side cigars drops rapidly onto base plate 12 and is dischargedthrough the opening 18 by fingers 73 upon the advance of the pusherplate 71, the next bottom layer of cigars being supported by the rearsection of pusher plate 71 during its advance. The reciprocating panels24 assure the rapid delivery of successive layers of uniformly orientedcigars into the path of the pusher member 71 and inhibit any jamming ofor bridging by the cigars.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention it is apparent that numerous alterations,omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spiritthereof.

Having now described the invention what is claimed and sought to beprotected by Letters Patent is:

1. An article handling apparatus comprising a hopper including a baseplate and front and rear walls, said front wall having a lower edgedisposed above said base plate to delineate therewith a dischargeopening, said front and rear walls having transversely-spaced pairs oflongitudinally aligned vertical slots formed therein and said base platehaving transversely-spaced longitudinally extending slots formed thereincorresponding to respective pairs of said vertical slots, alongitudinally extending vertical panel slidably registering with eachpair of said vertical slots and a corresponding of said longitudinalslots, an

oscillatable rocker lever associated with each pair of successivelongitudinal panels for swinging about a longitudinally extending pivotaxis located between said respective pairs of panels, means connectingopposite sides of said lever to corresponding of said respective pairsof panels, each of said rocker levers including a leg projectingtransversely thereof from said corresponding pivot axis, and oscillatingmeans including a transversely extending rod connected to each of saidlegs and a first rocker arm connected to said connector rod and a secondrocker arm connected to and rockable with said first rocker arm and arotating crank member including a crank pin and a link connecting saidsecond rocker arm to said crank pin, and a pusher member includingpusher elements registering with said passageways and longitudinallyreciprocatable toward and away from said discharge opening.

2. An article handling apparatus comprising a hopper including a baseplate and front and rear walls, said front wall having a lower edgedisposed above said base plate to delineate therewith a dischargeopening, said front and rear walls having transversely-spaced pairs oflongitudinally aligned vertical slots formed therein and said base platehaving transversely-spaced longitudinally extending slots formed thereincorresponding to respective pairs of said vertical slots, alongitudinally extending vertical panel slidably registering with eachpair of said vertical slots and a corresponding of said longitudinalslots, a pair of longitudinally aligned rocker levers associated witheach pair of said longitudinal panels and mounted on said front and rearwalls and engaging opposite ends of said respective longitudinal panels,said rocker levers being swingable about a corresponding longitudinalextending axis located between said respective pairs of longitudinalpanels, means for oscillating said levers, and a pusher member includingpusher elements registering with said passageways and longitudinallyreciprocatable toward and away from said discharge opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,584,466 2/52Kaserman 221l78 X 2,618,421 11/52 Basus 22168 X 2,822,953 2/58 Kunath22l93 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

1. AN ARTICLE HANDLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOPPER INCLUDING A BASEPLATE AND FRONT AND REAR WALLS, SAID FRONT WALL HAVING A LOWER EDGEDISPOSED ABOVE SAID BASE PLATE TO DELINEATE THEREWITH A DISCHARGEOPENING, SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS HAVING TRANSVERSELY-SPACED PAIRS OFLONGITUDINALLY ALIGNED VERTICAL SLOTS FORMED THEREIN AND SAID BASE PLATEHAVING TRANSVERSELY-SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SLOTS FORMED THEREINCORRESPONDING TO RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF SAID VERTICAL SLOTS, ALONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING VERTICAL PANEL SLIDABLY REGISTERING WITH EACHPAIR OF SAID VERTICAL SLOTS AND A CORRESPONDING OF SAID LONGITUDINALSLOTS, AN OSCILLATABLE ROCKER LEVER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PAIR OFSUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL PANELS FOR SWINGING ABOUT A LONGITUDINALLYEXTENDING PIVOT AXIS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF PANELS,MEANS CONNECTING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID LEVER TO CORRESPONDING OF SAIDRESPECTIVE PAIRS OF PANELS, EACH OF SAID ROCKER LEVERS INCLUDING A LEGPROJECTING TRANSVERSELY THEREOF FROM SAID CORRESPONDING PIVOT AXIS, ANDOSCILLATING MEANS INCLUDING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING ROD CONNECTED TOSAID CONNECTOR ROD AND A SECOND ROCKER ARM CONNECTED TO SAID CONNECTORROD AND A SECOND ROCKER ARM CONNECTED TO AND ROCKABLE WITH SAID FIRSTROCKER ARM AND A ROTATING CRANK MEMBER INCLUDING A CRANK PIN AND A LINKCONNECTING SAID SECOND ROCKER ARM TO SAID CRANK PIN, AND A PUSHER MEMBERINCLUDING PUSHER ELEMENTS REGISTERING WITH SAID PASSAGEWAYS ANDLONGITUDINALLY RECIPROCATABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM DISCHARGE OPENING.